Windshield heater



.June Z0, 1933. R. A. NOBLE 1,914,454

WINDSHIELD HEATER Filed June 24, 1930 Patented June 20, 1933 PATENTOFFICE.

MBERT A. NOBLE, F COWLESVILLE, NEW YORK Application led June 24, 1930.Serial N'o. 463,512.

This invention relates to improvements in heating attachments forwindshields.

One object of the invention is an attachment of the kind generallydescribed which is readily applicable to and removable from a windshieldand which, when not in use, will be supported firmly against thewindshield, thereby preventing vibration and rattling of the device. n

A further object is to provide a heating attachment in which theresistance elements are movable with respect to the windshield to permitthe driver to adjust them as he may desire either to obtain a minimumobstruction of view or to ensure the most efficient operation of thedevice. l

A further object is a heating attachment which will obtain the desiredresults with a minimum consumption of current. l The invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an innerface view of the device as applied to a windshield. i. Figure 2 is asection along line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section along line 3-3 of Figure 1. v

Figure 4 is a section along line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a modified construction in which the resistance elements arearranged in groups, each group being adjustable with respect to theother.

The heating attachment as' shown coniprises a transparent panel 6 whichis adapted to be supported in close proximity a windshield 7 of anysuitable construction. The supporting means, as shown, includes a pairof depending arms 8 which are pivotally secured to pins 9 carried by thebody 10 of the vehicle, one arm being utilized forthe support of eachend of the transparent panel 6. At their lower ends, the arms 8 carrypins 11, the latter reerably having heads 12. The heads 12 t into andconform with recesses 13 formed at the opposite en ds of the panel 6.Vacuum cups 14 are suitably secured upon the pins 11 and at such adistance from the heads 12 that when the latter 5 are inserted in therecesses 13 the vacuum cups 14 are compressed to remove the lair withinthem and hence engage the panel. Thus the heads 12 prevent shifting ofthe panel 6 with respect to the windshield 7 while the vacuum cups 14maintain a co-operating relation between the pins-11 and the panel 6.The panel 6 when in use is clamped firmly against the windshield 7 bythe arms 8. To this end the said arms carry at their upper endsadjusting screws 15 which may be turned to engage the body 1() of thevehicle to pivot the lower end of the arm 8 inwardly thereby urging thepanel against the windshield'. In order to remove the attachment whenits use is not desired, the screw 15 is loosened sufficiently to permitwithdrawal of the headed pins 11 from the recesses in the panel 6. Thearms 8 may then be pivoted laterally on the pins 9. The arms 8 beingswung aside, the panel 6 may be readily removed aftei the wires whichconnect the device to power have been disconnected. It is to be notedthat the recesses 13 which are formed in the transparent panel 6 and inwhich the heads 12 fit are of' a depth less than the thickness of thesaid panel. This construction is desirable for two reasons; irst, itenables the use of the 'vacuum cups 14 which could not be employed ifthe recesses extended through the panel and second, it avoids anyprojections from the opposite face of the panel which would interferewith the adjustment of the heating elements.

The panel 6 is adapted to be supported upon the windshield in the mannerdescribed in the line of vision of the driver. The said panel has twopurposes; rst, to provide a support for the resistance elements whichare employed and second, to provide an air path between it and thewindshield through which the said resistance elements extend therebyconfining the heat to that portion of the windshield directly in theline of vision of the driver.

As shown and preferred, the resistance elements 18 are arrangedhorizontally upon the panel 6 between the panel and the windshield. Attheir opposite ends, the elements 18 are connected to clips 19 and 20which are mounted upon insulating supports 21. It will be noted that theclips 19 are of U-shaped cross section and that they engage, preferablyres siliently, both taces ot the panel whereas the clips 2O engage onlythe outer face ot the said panel. While the resistance elements 18 maybe of any desired form they are preferably formed as best shown inFigure 3, into elongated resilient coils which, when in their natural-shape are oi" length substantially less than the distance between theclips to which their ends are secure l. Thus, in arranging the supports21 at the opposite sides or" the panel 6 the resistance elements 18 arestretched and held in this position. As their tendency is to contract,they urge the supports 21 against the edges ot the panel and, whileholding` them lirmly in this position, permitadjustinent of the supportsupon the said panel. Adjustment ot the supports may be desirable eitherto accommodate the arrangen'ient ot resistance elements to suit thetaste ot the particular driver or to obtain the most eiiticientoperation of the attachment.

The securement ot the resistance elements upon the panel 6 in thismanner has the turther advantagc that they may be readily removed topermit cleaning of the panel.

The insulating supports 21, as best shown in Figures 3 and 4, are et anL-shape. rlhe horizonta leg 21o oi the support extends inwardly tooverlap the panel 6 wl ereby when the panel is secured against thewindshield the said leg functions as a spacer to provide an air passageQ2 between the panel and the Windshield. rShis permits air to enter thelower entrance of the said passage and to pass upwardly toward theoutlet ot said passage, in which course it is heated by the resistanceelements 18. The panel 6 contines the heated air within the passage andagainst the windshield. rlfhe vertical leg 217) of the support 21extends lengthwise ot the edge ot the panel and is suitably apertured toreceive binding posts Q3 the latter being electrically connected to theresistance elements 18 through the clips 19 and 20. The attachment isdesigned to be connected to a suit-able source ot power, preferably thebattery of the vehicle with which it is associated. W hile f theresistance elements 18 may be connected to the said source ot power inany arrangement desired, in the construction shown the two upperelements 18 which are in series are connected to one side ot the batterywith the lower two elements 18 which are also in series by a iiexiblelead A, both the upper and lower series being connected to the otherside of the battery as by grounding the flexible lead B to the trame etthe vehicle.

In the modicd construction shown in Figure the resistance elements arearranged in two groups 24 and Q5 and each group is supported byindividual supports 26 similar to the supports Q1 described inconnect-ion with Figure 1. The supports 26 are spaced from each otherand hence each group may be adjusted independently. In other respectsthe construct-ion is the same as described in the first embodiment.

I claim as my invention:

1. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a tensionedresistance element arranged across said panel between it and saidwindshield and supports for said element which lightly engage oppositesides of said panel, said supports being maintained in co-operatingrelation upon said panel by said element.

2. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in closeproximity to a windshield, a tensionedresilient resistance element arranged across said panel between it andsaid windshield and supports for said element, said supports beingmaintained in eo-operating relation with said panel by said element.

3. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a tensionedresistance element. arranged across said panel between it and saidwindshield and supports for vsaid element adapted to lie along oppositeedges ot' said panel and to space it from said windshield to provide anair path between the panel and windshield through which said elementextends, said element urging said supports against the opposite edges ofsaid panel.

4..A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, tensionedresilient resistance elements arranged across said panel between it andsaid windshield and supports for said elements at opposite edges of saidpanel, said supports being utilized to provide an air path between saidpanel and windshield through which said elements extend, said elementsurging said supports against the opposite edges of said panel.

A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent panel adaptedto be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a tensionedresistance element arranged across said panel between it and saidwindshield and adjustable supports carried by said panel to which saidelement is secured and by virtue ot which said element may be adjustedupon said panel, said resistance element maintaining the said supportsin cooperating relation upon said panel.

t'A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent panel adaptedto be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a tensionedresilient resistance element arranged across said panel between it andsaid windshield and adjustable supports at opposite sides of said panelto which said element is secured, said element maintaining the saidsupports in co-operating relation upon said panel and permitting theirseparation for adjustment and removal.

7. A Windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a tensionedresilient resistance element arranged across said panel between it andsaid windshield and adjustable supports to which said element is securedand which are maintained in co-operating relation upon said panel bysaid element, said supports spacing said panel from said windshield toprovide an air path through which said element extends.

8. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a heatingelement arranged across saidl panel between it and said windshield,supports carried at opposite edges of said panel and to which saidelement is connected, said supports slidably engaging the respectiveends ol the panel whereby they may be adjusted to adjust said elementrelative to said panel.

9. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a heatingelement arranged across said panel between it and said windshield,supports at opposite edges of said panel formed to engage opposite facesof said edges and to which said element is connected, said supportsslidably engaging the respective ends of the panel whereby they may beadjusted to adjust said element relative to said panel.

l0. A windshield heating attachment comprising a transparent paneladapted to be supported in close proximity to a windshield, a heatingelement arranged across said panel between it and said windshield,supports at opposite edges of said panel formed to resiliently engageopposite faces of said edges and to which said element is connected,said supports slidably engaging the respective ends of the panel wherebythey may be adjusted to adjust said element relative to said panel.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ROBERT A. NOBLE.

